Yesterday was my last day in Grindelwald but Stephen, Michael, Lara and Oli are staying on doing sightseeing, snowboarding and skiing. It was a stunning day yesterday with the sun out. It was -8 degrees in the morning but when the sun comes out it really does change the complexion of the place entirely. Even though the temperature is still low it just feels much warmer when you can feel the sun.

Stephen & Lara tried out snowboarding yesterday morning and made some progress in getting the basics under control. Oli & Kirsten ski’d down the Bodmi slope 10 or 11 times to build up some confidence while Michael and Daniel went to ski in Mannlichen (which is at about 2300m and requires you to take a gondola to get to the ski area).

I had to leave to catch a train from Interlaken to Basel and then change at Basel and take the train to Cologne. It was 3 hours to Basel in a train and then 4 hours from Basel to Cologne. I had worked out that it took the same time to take the train as it would to fly (as I would have had to take the train to Zurich airport, check in, security etc).  At least on a train you can work, read, answer emails etc and there is WiFi so it was a lot more productive. What did strike me was the fact that there was snow the whole way during the train journey. It is unusual for there to be snow in Cologne but there were even places I could see snow when we pulled into Cologne last night. The other noticeable thing is that immediately you leave Switzerland (i.e. from Basel onwards), the landscape becomes flat and (dare I say) boring. It was an immediate transition.

Unfortunately it is back to work for me. So don’t expect much of a blog in the next few days. I will try to blog a few more times before I get back but given I am no longer with the rest of them I doubt I will be able to give a lot of what they are up to.

P (and for 1/2 day S, M, L & O)

We woke up to see that more fresh snow had fallen overnight though the temperature had risen to around 1 degree. It was still overcast. Michael, Oli and Daniel were going skiing at Kleine Scheidegg. It involves taking the train from the Grindelwald Grund station to Kleine Scheidegg (KS). KS is at about 2061m above sea level and is about half way up the Eiger and on the train line which goes up the Jungfraujoch (which is at 3466m (described as the Top of Europe and is the highest reachable point in Europe by rail). About mid-morning it became very cloudy with really poor visibility in Grindelwald and we messaged them to discover it was what is known as a ‘white-out’ up there too. Shortly after that it actually started snowing in Grindelwald.

Stephen and Lara spent a reasonable chunk of the morning out walking around the town. In fact they walked down to the river (which is really at the end of the town or in another town probably more correctly) and back again to the chalet and so they were out walking when it was actually snowing (a first for Lara).

Michael and Oli got back just after lunch time. Oli had coped well for a few runs on the mountain and then lost her confidence (by her own admission). Both Michael and Oli were pretty tired when they got back. Oli was so tired she couldn’t actually eat (which if you know Oli is a clear indicator of how tired she really was). It was Michael’s birthday yesterday and so I think skiing for him was the best way to spend most of his birthday.

In the afternoon, Stephen, Lara and Kirsten went to get their boots fitted as they planned to go up to Bodmi this morning.  Oli decided to join them to try to get her confidence back in skiing something easier than KS. My Dad and I also went for a short walk around the town to get some fresh air. I failed to wear a beanie and when I got back everyone was laughing at how red my ears were.

Dinner last night was raclette which is a Swiss specialty. It was Michael’s choice. It is basically melted cheese which you eat over potatoes (you get special potatoes for the purpose too). You eat sausages (bratwurst) with it. It is fairly rich but very nice and by the end of the night all the potatoes were consumed and most of the cheese was gone too. Michael asked for treacle sponge with custard for dessert which is a Temple family special (and I guess an English dessert).

Everyone was in bed earlier as the skiers were pretty tired. I have never seen Daniel in bed as earlier as last night (admittedly he only got back at about 6:30pm after leaving at 8am!).

It was a nice day but missing Chloe & Helen’s presence …

P, M (because it was his 19th birthday), S, O, L (because she laughed at my red ears)

We woke yesterday to a snow-covered Grindelwald. You might think that was to be expected but until a few days there was hardly any snow in the area. Our wider family had been here over Xmas and they hadn’t been able to ski because of the lack of snow. Given that the 4 of them (S, L, M & O) are here to ski and snowboard, this was obviously a great sight.

As we had arrived so late on Friday, I went down to the supermarket with Daniel (my nephew) to buy some breakfast items. I know it is really easy to comment on prices in Switzerland but it really struck me how much more expensive it was to Portugal (let alone to SA). For instance, mangoes (imported from SA no doubt) were the same absolute price in Switzerland as they were in SA – just a different currency which makes them about 14 x more expensive here! That is a staggering difference because there is no way importing them should result in the price being 14 x more. I wonder who is making all the profit out of them along the chain of supply?! In case you need help translating that it was over R100 per mango.

The kids went later to have a walk around Grindelwald and then we met them at the supermarket again to do a bigger shop for the next few days.  The bill for that shop came to almost R10000 for a full shopping trolley. That is probably 3-4 x what we would pay in SA for the same thing. It really does amaze me in a world that now has a global economy how one country could be so much more expensive than the other countries surrounding them. I travel regularly to Germany and while Switzerland borders Germany, I reckon Germany is at least half the price for the same things.

It is pretty cold here. When we arrived Friday night is was -15 and yesterday the temperature rose to -3.5 degrees. There are some advantages of this in that if the fridge or freezer is full all you do is put the items outside. For instance, the cooldrinks weren’t cold when we got back from the shop so Stephen simply placed them outside and surrounded them with snow. Problem solved in that about 10-15 minutes later you have cold drinks.

After lunch, Michael and Oli went to get their ski boots and ski’s fitted and then we all went up to Bodmi (small village just above Grindelwald where the ski school is located). There are a few gentle slopes to practice on and given Oli hadn’t ski’d since she was 6, it was a good place to start. She seemed to pick it up quite quickly again. Michael looked remarkably comfortable on ski’s despite not having ski’d for 2 years. The rest of us  decided to toboggan and everyone had great fun coming down the short slope. There were probably 20 people doing the same thing so the biggest challenge was ensuring you missed the other people. Michael & Oli decided to ski back to the chalet and Daniel tobogganed back with them and the rest of us drove back down again. Everything closes at about 4:30pm as the sun sets just before 5pm so there is no point in staying out after that (though there was some snowball throwing before we headed back).

Everyone was pretty tired by around 10pm last night and headed for bed.

Until later today (or tomorrow depending on how I feel) …

P, S, L, M & O

(PS: Helen and Chloe arrived home safely yesterday afternoon and told me they were swimming in our pool at 28 degrees C … bit of change of climate!)

 

Yesterday was the day of travel. We left for the airport at just before 11am. We dropped off the family with the luggage at the terminal and then Michael and I took the car back to the rental car company (which was offsite). It was pretty painless to do the drop off and then we headed back to check in. Helen and Chloe were heading back to Cape Town via Zurich and Johannesburg and the rest of us were going to Zurich and then catching the train down to Grindelwald.

We were actually on different flights as Chloe and Helen were on Swiss Air but the rest of us were on TAP. Both flights ended up being delayed by at least an hour. They announced that the delay was due to staff shortages – we were hoping not a shortage of pilots. I think it was because they still have some strike action amongst the ground staff.  The delays weren’t really an issue for either of the groups as it just meant we ended up taking a later train and Helen & Chloe had a 4-hour layover which just became three hours.

The TAP flight was pretty uncomfortable. I have never flown on a flight with such little leg room. It was quite ridiculous. I actually had a business class seat and my knees were touching the seat in front. I couldn’t even put my legs under the seat in front of me without turning sideways first. And unfortunately it is quite a long flight (3 hours). We landed at 6:30pm and got our luggage and had time to buy some dinner before catching the train. We bought takeaways for dinner which cost R220 per person (not kidding!). Switzerland is another whole league in terms of price versus any other country in the world.

The train left at 7:40pm and we had to change at Bern and then again at Interlaken Ost. The trains run precisely to the minute usually in Switzerland and so it was surprising that we arrived 2 minutes late into Interlaken Ost. The train to Grindelwald left 2 minutes late and I suspect it was compensating for the late arrival into Interlaken.

There is a lot of snow around and it is pretty cold outside. I checked the temperature in Interlaken and it was -15 degrees C. My Dad kindly met us at the train station in the car so that he could take the luggage up to the chalet and the ladies went with him while the rest of us walked up. There are 9 of us staying in the chalet at the moment as one of my nieces and one nephew are also here (as well as my folks).

Helen and Chloe were killing time at Zurich airport and their flight left at 10:45pm for Johannesburg.  They have just arrived back into Cape Town as I type this.

Until tomorrow (or possibly later today)

P, H, C, S, M, L & O

Today was residency renewal day. That meant breakfast at 9am and then a walk over to the lawyers office (about 20 minute walk). It was very misty this morning but not particularly cold (and I see as I type now it is becoming very misty again tonight). We got to the lawyers office at 10am and signed the necessary documents and then had to walk to the Home Affairs office. Home Affairs in Portugal is like anywhere else in the world. Basically sit and wait and do nothing. Our ticket was F33 and they were on F12 when we arrived at 11am. We finished at around 2:45pm i.e. 3 hours 45 minutes of basically doing nothing. Reading, Facebooking, YouTube videos, iPhone games etc. Fortunately we knew what to expect and came prepared.

Lunch at the Burger King on the corner which is now becoming a tradition.  3rd time to visit Home Affairs in Lisbon and 3rd time we had Burger King lunch. The day was basically consumed doing the renewals so we went back to the hotel for a rest. We went out for dinner at 7:30pm and found an Italian restaurant. It was definitely the worst food and worst service we have had since we arrived. The waiter was grumpy and unhelpful and the food was average at best. Not a great way to finish off our last night in Lisbon. I at least found a MacDonald’s on the way back to the hotel so I could get a Chocolate Sundae.

Tomorrow is a traveling day as we split up – Helen and Chloe going back to SA and the rest of us going to Switzerland.

Until tomorrow …

P, H, S, M, C, L & O

Not a lot to blog about today as we left Aveiro this morning and drove the 220kms down to Lisbon. Motorway most of the way with a stop for lunch at one of the many motorway services. The weather was overcast for most of the day and there were patches of thick mist as we drove south down to Lisbon. I am sure I have said this previously, but the road network in Portugal is ridiculously good. The motorway was 2 or 3 lanes most of the way and very little traffic. And more incredibly (at least for South Africans) the drivers are very disciplined and pass left and immediately pull back into the right lane. It is a pleasure to drive here (and pretty easy too).

We arrived in Lisbon at about 2:30pm. We are staying at the HF Fenix Garden Hotel (http://www.hfhotels.com/gb/?s=3&ss=21). Our room looks very similar to what you see on their website (which is unusual) and yes it is in pink (if you look at the website). Helen said she thinks it is the first time she has stayed in a pink hotel room. The room overlooks Ave Liberdade and the main traffic circle at the top of the road. Parque Eduardo VII is what you can see directly from our room (see pic). It is noisy (traffic) when the window is open but with the window closed you can hear no traffic noise at all but the room is terribly hot. The aircon only works on fan or heating and we definitely don’t need heating.

It is considerably warmer in Lisbon (around 18 degrees) and it feels hotter. We walked down and back up Ave Liverdade tonight to find a place for dinner and by the time we found a restaurant we had all stripped down to just our shirt sleeves. The city clearly traps in the heat.

Not much to share today but that is sometimes how it goes when traveling.

Until tomorrow

P, H, S, L, M, O & C

We definitely seemed to have timed our movements perfectly with the weather this week. It was raining overnight and again this morning but even let up slightly when we had to load up the car as we left the hotel. We left at just after 10:30am and drove up the river toward the sea so that we could at least see what the beach area of Porto looked like (though it definitely wasn’t beach weather). At one point I wondered why all the cars were parked facing us and then realised we were heading up a one-way road (pretty wide road so not really any danger .. sorry Clegg & Moyles’ parents). I did a quick u-turn and blamed the two other people in the front seat (Oli & Michael) for not spotting the no-entry signs. What’s the point of the passenger seat if not pointing out road signs?!

The ladies wanted to spend the morning at the shopping mall and so we headed back to the mall we had located on the day we arrived in Porto but on route we passed another mall and decided to give it a try instead. It had all the requisite shops needed so it turned out to fulfill the needs of the ladies. The men toured the tech stores while we waited for the ladies to finish and then we met up in the food court (the most extensive one I have ever seen – even bigger than the American food courts) for lunch. We stuck with the tried and tested and ended up having Wok to Walk again with only Stephen having a burger from Burger King.

We then headed south to Aveiro which is our overnight stop back on route to Lisbon. It was less than an hours drive from Porto. It is billed as the ‘Venice of Portugal’. As we discovered this evening when walking around the town that is a bit of an oversell. It basically has two canals which run at right angles to each other and the ‘gondola looking’ boats are actually motor powered. It is pretty but after walking around for about 45 minutes we had covered the whole town and so we headed back to the hotel again. It is the best hotel we have stayed at so far on the trip.  We are staying at Hotel Aveiro Palace (http://www.hotelaveiropalace.com/hotel-overview.html).  It is actually also the cheapest hotel we have stayed at so far. The rooms are the biggest we have had and the quality of everything is very nice.

The highlight of today was definitely the dinner. Oli researched the restaurants and suggested this place as it had a vegetarian option for Lara. It was called ‘O Barrio’ (meaning from the neighborhood). When we got there we were the only people in the place but by the time we left it was basically full (some reserved tables still unoccupied but they were turning people away). The waiter was excellent. He made a real effort to talk to us and explain things and he made an effort to ensure that Lara got a dish she would eat too. He explained the wine choices and encouraged me to pick a less expensive wine from the area (rather than the one which was more expensive that I had planned to pick – the one we got was only €13 a bottle). They gave a free glass of Portuguese sparking wine (with their compliments) and also crisps with a paprika dip (which Helen and Stephen both loved as evidenced by ho much they are of it). The menu was only in Portuguese but they translated the whole menu for us.

The main courses were also excellent. Lara had a vegetarian risotto; Michael & Stephen had Barrio steak (done their special way with a poached egg and mushroom sauce); Chloe & Helen had duck risotto and Oli and I had the local fish of the day with a vegetable parcel (the restaurant is right near the fish market in the town so I have no doubt it was purchased fresh there – pic of my plate). The chef is only 22 years old but he is right up there with top chefs in my view. The food was of a very high standard and definitely the best we have had in Portugal (probably from any visit). It ws definitely the best meal Lara has had so far and she went on to say it was probably one of the best Vegan meals she has had ever from a restaurant. Add to that the service we received from the waiter (he was exceptionally good and I am not exaggerating at all), the whole experience was the highlight of the day.

Until tomorrow

P, O (because of finding the restaurant), S, L (because the two of them have mocked me the least and Lara not at all actually), M, H, C (because she ‘kindly’ pointed out all the no-entry signs the rest of the day)

{I apologize if you receive this twice as the first edition seems to have lost a whole portion so I re-sent it)

We had expected it (thanks to our weather apps) but this morning we woke to it having rained lightly overnight and being totally overcast. The good thing was it stayed overcast but fortunately never rained (while we were out) so we could spend the day walking around Porto without getting wet. I definitely haven’t walked so much in a long time and my feet are really very sore this evening. The biggest issue is that to get anywhere you seem to end up walking up hill all the time. This morning was no exception as we headed out to Lello bookshop (the oldest bookshop in Portugal and the most beautiful one I have visited). Michael’s route to the store took us up the steepest incline that could possibly be found. We were all out of breath when we got to the top (even the runners).

It was also the first time in my life I had to buy a ticket to a bookstore (€5.50) but I can fully understand why they do it as the place was packed.  It was a beautiful bookstore and the photo’s don’t really do it justice. With your ticket purchase you do get a €5 voucher off any book purchased which basically means you only pay 50c if you actually do buy a book (which 4 people out of the 7 of us did). By this point we were ready for a coffee break. Only in Portugal would you be able to get a beer at Costa Coffee though.  We were right next to Clerigos Tower and some people were thinking about climbing it but as it is attached to a Church (Catholic of course) there was a fee involved and so we ruled that one out (one thing paying to get into a bookshop, another whole thing paying to walk up a tower).

We walked across the top of the Ponte de Dom Luis I bridge. The top-level is for pedestrians and the metro only. No fence between where the people walk and the tracks. It would never to be allowed in the UK as it must violate every health and safety law. I wonder how many people are killed every year by the metro on that bridge?! The views are really good from the top of the bridge across both Porto and Gaia (the other side of the river where the Port Lodges are found). We took the Gondola’s from the top of the bridge down into Gaia. Lara was a touched freaked out (she is scared of heights) but managed to still enjoy the view and the good news (Bryan and Sharon will be pleased to hear), she is still alive when I last saw her a few minutes ago.

We then walked up the hill to Graham’s which is arguably the best port wine producer in the world. We did a port tasting and then afterwards a bought a bottle of crusted port (it was exceptionally good) which I am hoping Helen will take back to SA in her luggage. We walked back down the hill and had lunch at a riverside restaurant and then headed back across the bridge (lower level this time), over the river and back to the hotel. On the river bank you still find the old port boats (called rabelo boats) that are used to transport the port barrels from the estates (up the river) to the port lodges (cellars).  These days they are no longer used but still line the river in front of the port lodges (they are used once a year only).

By the time we got back to the hotel it was 3pm and we relaxed for the balance of the afternoon. We had dinner at a nearby restaurant (Tapas place though only Stephen and I had tapas in the end). I am sure everyone will sleep well again tonight after all the walking.

Until tomorrow

P, S (because he had tapas with me), L (because she definitely doesn’t mock me as much as the rest of the them or for that matter she doesn’t mock me at all), M, O, C, H (close call but the last two as they both enjoyed mocking me today but Helen wins out today)

Stephen, Lara and Chloe managed to stay up and go and see the fireworks last night over the river. While I was awake, I had run out of the ability to take another step (my feet feel like they are bruised underneath). I could hear the music and the noise of the fireworks but had to content myself with Stephen & Chloe’s pictures and video this morning,

After a late breakfast (we only went at 9am), we packed up and headed out further north to Porto. We had plenty of time as we only had to travel just over 100 kms. We took the ‘scenic’ route which turned out to not be that scenic. After going through the 50th roundabout, we were ready to get back onto the motorway and get to Porto. We arrived just after midday and as we couldn’t check into our hotel yet (check in time was 3pm), we went to the mall with the distinct purpose of getting lunch there. Everything was closed in the mall except the food court. Everyone’s tastes could be covered in that Stephen, Chloe and Michael had MacDonald’s and the rest of us went to ‘Wok to Walk’ (which was pretty good Asian noodles with whatever ingredients you wanted). Probably the best meal Lara has had so far.

By the time we were finished lunch we thought it was close enough to check-in time and so headed back to the hotel.  We are staying at Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira (http://www.carrishoteles.com/en/hotels/hotel-carris-porto-ribeira-porto/). It has a great location but as many hotels in Europe there is no obvious place to stop outside and offload the luggage. It has become pretty much standard routine for Michael to go in and find out where we stop and he again did that and he was told that we should stop and offload in the taxi rank. The problem was that by this stage we were already past it and to do a U-turn is near impossible (see pictures of the narrow roads and bear in mind I am driving a Mercedes Vito around these roads!). We eventually managed to get back to Michael after 10-15 minutes and offloaded the car and then Michael and I took the car to the car park they had directed us to (again another challenge of driving skills).

The hotel rooms are pretty small and Helen and I are going to have close fellowship tonight in the double (definitely a double and not an inch bigger than that) bed. We rested this afternoon and went out at about 6pm for a walk around the area and to find a place for dinner. The number one attraction in Porto is the Ponte de Dom Luis I bridge.  Yes a bridge is the top attraction. It goes over the Douro River and carries cars at the bottom of the bridge and the metro at the top. It is the bridge in the background of the picture. Construction of the bridge started in 1881 and the architect was the partner of Gustave Eiffel (who designed another bridge in Porto and some other things in Paris I believe). Across the river are the Port Lodges (which we hope to explore tomorrow). The second top attraction is the Cais da Ribeira which is the boardwalk along the river right where we are staying. We walked along there tonight and there were many restaurants open and buskers out playing their music.

We then walked up the hill (no such thing as a flat walk in any Portuguese city it seems) and eventually found our way to the train station which is also one of the top things to see in Porto. It is beautiful inside (and outside) but unfortunately it was littered with rubbish on the floor which really spoilt the beautiful architecture. The panels inside the station depict the History of Portugal. By this stage we were ready for dinner and as we had walked past a really nice looking restaurant we headed back there.  I had been told that goat was the local specialty and so Stephen and I decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed. I thought it was going to be tough but it was very tender and tasty. Definitely worth repeating.

Even though we didn’t walk as far today, I still feel pretty tired from both the driving and the walking this evening and so I can foresee another early night.

Until tomorrow

P, H, M (for his assistance with the parking, driving and hotel management), H, S, L, O and C (because despite my hope that posting the blog last night would bring less criticism this am she sat at breakfast opposite me and read the blog and picked up on the odd mistake!)